In recent years, there has been an increasing need for liquid-filled gum or center-filled gum and other confectionery products. These products generally include a solid outer part, that is, an outer shell and a soft liquid center part. The outer part may be made of some type of chewing gum, bubblegum, candy, or material containing flour as a main ingredient, while the liquid center part may generally be made of flavored material having a syrup-like viscosity.
Various studies have been made today on gum compositions filled with liquid at the center (International Publications No. WO2009/020219 and No. WO2009/020227). Further, many mechanisms and systems have been known for producing liquid-filled gum and other confectionery products Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. 2004-506434 and No. 2004-508024).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-506434 discloses a system for continuously producing coated pieces of liquid-filled gum material comprising: an extruder and center-fill mechanism for continuously producing a rope of center-filled gum material; a tablet-forming mechanism having a first rotating chain member with a plurality of die groove members thereon and a second chain mechanism having a second plurality of die groove members thereon, said first and second plurality of die groove members being positioned to mate forming die cavities for formation of individual pieces of tablet-type gum material; a cooling mechanism for cooling the formed pieces of center-filled gum material; and a coating mechanism for applying a hard coating to the formed pieces of gum material; the die groove members each having surfaces of substantially curved configurations wherein pieces of liquid-filled gum material are formed having curved and non-flat outer configurations.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-508024 discloses a system for continuously producing pieces of liquid-filled gum material comprising: a rotating drum mechanism, the drum mechanism having a die ring member and a cutter ring member; the die ring member having a first plurality of die half members positioned around its outer periphery; the cutter ring member having a second plurality of die half members positioned on its inner periphery, one of the second plurality of die half members mating with one of the first plurality of die half members to form circular die cavities as the drum mechanism rotates; each of the mating pairs of die half members having a pair of plunger members associated therewith for entering the mated die half members and compressing pieces of gum material positioned therein, and cam mechanisms for operating the plunger members; cooling means for cooling the first and second plurality of die half members with a cooled fluid in order to minimize sticking of the gum material to the die half members; and heating means for maintaining the plunger members and cam mechanisms at temperatures above the temperatures of said first and second plurality of die half members.
However, construction of a system for continuously producing gum products filled with liquid at the center requires a further increase in liquid filling factor and measures to prevent leakage of liquid filled in gum in a conventional method.